Apparatus for holding ends of and closing crevasses



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APPARATUS FOR HOLDING ENDS OF AND CLOSING GREVASSBSi No 529,580., v APatented Non-20, 1894.

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v W. BAPTIST. v APPARATUS FOR HOLDING ENDS OF AND CLOSING GREVASSBS. No.529,580.

Patented Nov. 20, 1894.v

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BAPTIST, OF NEW QRLEANS, LOUISIANA.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING ENDS OF AND (EH-.OSING CREVASS-ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,580, dated November20, 1894. Application filed July18,1894. strewn. 517,915. (No model.)

methods of and apparatus for holding the ends of and for closingcrevasses, and it consists essentially in means for holding the brokenends of the levee against the erosion of the water prior to theinstallation of the pile driver or other means for stopping thecrevasse, and in certain novel means for protect ng the bottom and endsof the break against erosion, and in lessening the flow of watertherethrough while the other means for closing the break are beingprepared for operation, or are actually in operation. The levees,constructed to keep out the rising water in streams flowing throughalluvial lands where the banks are constantly changing, are ordinarilybuilt of earth or'similar material which is easily eroded; and as soonas a break occurs in the levee, the-water rushing through the break, orcrevasse, as it is most commonly called, rapidly eats away theunprotected ends of the levee causing theorevasseto widen rapidly,andhence rendering the closing of the same much more diflicult. Ittherefore becomes of vital importance to hold the ends of the break assoon and as well as possible against the further widening of thecrevasse. As the crevasse widens, it will also deepen due to the erosionof the bottom thereof, and while this deepening is more difficult toprevent so long as the water continues to flow through the crevasse, itbecomes important to check this too as much as possible.

My invention consists of the apparatus for accomplishing these purposes,hereinafter described and claimed. p

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which the same partsare indicated by the same letters throughout the several views. A

' Figure 1 representsa perspective view of a partly closed crevasse ifthe water therein were withdrawn. Fig. 2 represents a front view of acrevasse at or near the beginning of the same, but the water flowingtherethrough being omitted for the sake of clearnessin thedrawings, andFig. 3 representsa rope half-hitched around a number of bags full ofearth or similar material to be used in holding down the edges of thecanvas guard for the broken ends of the levee, and also adapted toprotect the bottom and sides of the break from the erosive action of thewater.

A and A represent the ends of the levee, which are broken away by theforce of the water, forming a crevasse B. The levee being ordinarilymade of earth or similar material which is'rapidly eroded, it becomes ofvital importance to hold the ends of the break until the proper plantcan be brought into position, and more especially to hold one endagainst erosion where it is impossible to perform the positive work ofclosing the crevasse from more than one end atatlme. For the purpose ofholding one or both ends I have provided an apparatus similar to thatshown in Fig. 2, in which 0 represents a matting preferably of cottoncanvas or similar stout and cheap material, which is provided along aportion of its edge with a heavy chain D which chain is secured ontheoutside of the levee to a stake or similar holding device E. g

To the outer edge of the matting or to the chain secured thereto, Iprovide heavy metal wedges F perforated and secured to the matting orchain, or both, as atf. The points of these wedges fall downward beyondthe edge .of the matting, and the pressure of the water on the saidwedges tends to force them downward, and to hold the edge of the mattingdown'as shown to the right in Fig. 2.

ably pointed as at h, and pivoted at h between the stakes K driven intothe levee near the edge of the break. ,This beanl' may be held in itspivot by the rope or chain lo.

M represents a block and tackle of which H represents a long beam whichis prefer- IOO the upper block m is secured to the end of the beam H andthe fixed block on secured to the pivot stakes K, while the fall leadsalong the top of the levee.

N shown in Figs. 1 and 3 represents a rope of suitable size and strengthwhich is halfhitched around a number of bags P as at n, the bagscontaining earth or stone or similar heavy material. These bags P arepreferably the ordinary corn or oat sacks that are ordinarily to befound in large numbers on the plantations in the neighborhood of thecrevasse, or they may be provided in expectation of the occasion.

Q, shown only in Fig. 1, represents one of the triple pile driversdescribed in my Patent No. 510,873, dated December 12, 1893, of whichpile driver the weights q and q drive the line It and R of sheet piling,while the weight g drives the brace piling.

T represents one of the tracks on which the wheels (1 of the pile driverrun, which track also serves as a brace for the piles.

S represents a movable track along the top of the levee on which thepile driver is first mounted, before the rows of piling are driven, and'1 represents timber of any suitable kind, to be used in closing thecrevasse. The space between the rows of piling R and R is filled in withearth A', and the back of the piling, not shown, is braced in theordinary way. This pile driver and the method of using the same arefully described in my application for a reissue of the Letters PatentNo. 510,873, itOl'GSflld, which application was filed June 5,

In practice, I propose to have one or more scows with tugs to towthem,or preferably automobile vessels fitted up with a complete outfit,such as has been described, and stationed at intervals along the linesof levee to be protected; similar to the arrangement of fire engines ingreat cities.

Upon securing information as to the location of the crevasse, thenearest vessel or vessels should proceed at once to the scene of action,and the first work to be done should be to hold the ends against furthererosion and consequent widening of the crevasse.

This is done as shown in Fig. 2, where the boat lands one of the canvasmats and connected appliances at one side of the crevasse, say to theright as seen in Fig. 2, and then proceeding well clear of the inrushingwater lands another of the mats at the other side. The mat first landedis rapidly stretched along the top of the levee near the broken endthereof, the stakes E and K are driven in place, the chain D is securedto the stake E, and to the beam H, the tackle M is hooked in place, andmen or teams pull on the fall m while other men guide the inner end ofthe beam II until the beam and the mat are in the position shown to theleft in Fig. 2. Then the inner end of the beam is let go and the outerend swings downward. At the same time the tackle M is hauled on and thesharp point the same and allow the earth work beneath to be eroded, Iprepare long strings of sacks filled with earth or stone and tiedtogether similar to that shown in Fig. 3, and tying one end of the ropeholding these earth-filled sacks to the stake E or any other stake or toone of the saplings often found on the levee front, I roll these sacksdown the front of the matting and allow them to rest on the bottom ofthe crevasse. As many of these strings of bags may be used as desired;and they serve not only to hold the lower end of the canvas mat down andprevent the water from eroding beneath the same, but they also protectthe bottom of the crevasse itself from the scouring action of the water.It will be evident that in small crevasses these strings of bags may beso placed as to form arcs of concentric circles extending from each endof the crevasse and stretching out to the middle of the same, and thusprotecting the entire bed of the crevasse from excessive erosion; or thewhole gap of the crevasse in its early stages may be filled up by likestrings of bags between which the water percolates and thus the force ofthe water may be largely broken.

It will be evident that the stakes or sheet piling, ordinarily driven increvasses may be driven quite readily through these canvas mats andthrough the bags filled with earth or broken stone.

The manner of driving the piles does not form a part of my presentinvention and any suitable method of driving the same may be adopted.

It will be evident that either end of the crevasse may be held by one ofthe hereindescribed mats, while work goes on at the other end forclosing the break, as is shown in Fig. 1.

Instead of having a boat with one or more of my improvedcrevasse-closing outfits carried thereby, each plantation or villagenear the levee may be provided with one or more of the improvedapparatuses, and they may be brought by land to the crevasse from op.

posite directions, and put in operation as hereinbefore described. Thebeam H may be operated by hand without the use of the tackle M ifdesired.

It will be obvious that various modifications of the herein describedapparatus might be made which could be used without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

IIO

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aflexible screen or matting, of a chain secured along the edge thereof,and means for placing said screen so weighted over the broken end of thelevee, and of holding it in position, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aflexible screen or matting, of a chain secured along the edge thereof,andheavy wedges also secured to'the said edge of the screen, and meansfor placing said screen so weighted over the broken end of the levee,and of holding it in position, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. In an apparatus of the character dc scribed,the combination with aflexible screen or matting, of a chainsecured along the edge thereof,and a beam sharpened at one end and attached near said sharpened end tosaid chain or to the screen, with means for pushing said beam and thescreen connected thereto over the broken end of the levee, and thentilting said beam, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aflexible screen or matting of a chain secured along the edge thereof,and heavy wedges also secured to the said edge of the screen,and a beamsharpened at one end and attached near said sharpened end to said chainor the screen, with means matting near one edge thereof, guides for saidbeam secured to the levee, and means for pushing said beam outwardthrough said guides, and then tilting said beam, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

6. In an apparatus for holding the broken ends of levees or closingcrevasses, the combination with a plurality of bags filled with heavysolid material, of a rope or. chain secured to said bags, and means forholding the outer end of said rope or chain, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for holding the broken ends of levees or closingcrevasses, the combination with a plurality of bags filled with earth,of a rope hitched about said bags and holding same firmly, and means forholding the outer end of said rope, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BAPTIST. Witnesses: WM. H. Weienr,

J. L. BRADFORD;

